Terror state would be a security disaster: PM

On Monday US President Barack Obama’s top diplomat shocked observers by suggesting America was open to working with Iran to help stem the rapid advance of militants in Iraq. This is an avowed enemy of 35 years described by the former president George Bush as part of ''the Axis of Evil'',

''I think we are open to any constructive process here that could minimise the violence, hold Iraq together, the integrity of the country, and eliminate the presence of outside terrorist forces that are ripping it apart,'' Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview with Yahoo News.

The administration has spent the week since recanting those comments, which must have raised eyebrows among America’s other Middle Eastern allies, especially Israel and Saudi Arabia, which both see Iran not only as a source of support for terrorism but as an existential threat.

Tehran remembers its Iran-Iraq war "martyrs" on a city mural. Photo: Kate Geraghty

Within hours of the Kerry interview airing, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters there would be no military co-operation.

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''We’ve seen the comments made by the secretary and I’ll say, look, there’s discussions going on with Iran regarding the P5+1 [the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany] and it’s possible on the sidelines of those discussions that there could be discussions surrounding the situation in Iraq,'' he said. ''But there is absolutely no intention and no plan to co-ordinate military activity between the US and ... Iran.''

That evening in Vienna during negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, American officials did discuss the crisis with Iran, though the State Department emphasised later that the talks were brief, general and informal.

US Secretary of State John Kerry. Photo: AFP

Then on Wednesday Mr Kerry himself appeared to walk back the comments.

When it was suggested to him that he was the source of the speculation, Mr Kerry explained: ''What I said is we are interested in communicating with Iran, to make clear that the Iranians know what we’re thinking, and we know what they’re thinking, so there’s a sharing of information, so people aren’t making mistakes.

''No, we’re not sitting around contemplating how we’re going to do that, or if we’re going to do that. It’s not on the table.''

But also on Wednesday Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs of Staff General.Martin Dempsey appeared at a Senate Armed Services Committee budget hearing and were asked about working with Iran. Mr Hagel noted that Iran had helped in stabilising post-Taliban Afghanistan. ''So there's some history here of sharing common interests,'' he said, adding that ''I don't think these issues come neatly wrapped in geopolitical graduate school papers''.

When Mr Obama addressed press at the White House on Thursday to detail his response, He emphasised that America had ''deep differences with Iran across the board on a whole host of issues''.

He said that Iran could play a constructive role if it promoted a unified and inclusive Iraqi government, but suggested he was sceptical that was Iran’s intent.

''If Iran is coming in solely as an armed force on behalf of the Shia and it – if it is framed in that fashion, then that probably worsens the situation and the prospect for a government formation that would actually be constructive over the long term.''